Cabot Public Library

From the book "Where The Books Are"

Written by Patricia W. Belding,

Potash Book Publishing

Histories of Other Libraries In & Around Central Vermont

The Cabot Public Library, located on the Cabot Road off US Route 2 in Marshfield, occupies one large room in a substantial gray building resembling a school. Called the Willey memorial Hall, the Greek Revival structure also contains the town clerk's office and a large meeting room with stage and balcony. Charles A. Willey and the Judith Lyford Women's Club joined forces to build the community center in 1922. The club has helped support the library since 1920.

On August 15, 1896, the Cabot Free library was established under the law of 1894. Books from former circulating libraries and from the state made up the collection which may been the library-over-a-store mentioned in earlier records. In 1912, when members began raising money, they put on plays and lectures, printed a cookbook, and sponsored a kitchen orchestra.

Cabot has celebrated Old Home Week every year since the custom began in Vermont in 1901. In 1916, Willey received an invitation, one of many sent to former Cabot residents living out-of-state. When he came to town for the celebration, he was president of the C.A. Willey Company in New York City. The elaborate letterhead described his business as the manufacturers "of Automobile, Carriage and Car Paints, Colors, Varnishes, Etc."

During his visit, he made a verbal promise to Gertrude Wells, president of the Ladies' library Association (then part of the women's club): for each $1 the town raised, he would give $2 to build a library or a library/town hall combination building. Within two months after his return to New York, he put the offer into writing and it was gratefully accepted.

Interestingly, it was 20 years to the day between the 1896 founding date of the Cabot Free library and Willey's Old-Home-Week visit in August 1916 In his proposal-letter, he wrote how pleased he was he could make this gift to Cabot, since he and his family had always had pleasant memories of the place. Many of the state's libraries were donated by non-residents expressing the same sentiments.

After the club accepted Willey's offer, Lester Burbank was chosen to head the building committee. F.A. Walker of Montpelier was chosen architect and local people donated lumber and labor. The $15,829 building with its ample windows and simple portico has several rooms including the library on the main floor right, which resembles a large classroom with all space well-utilized. Renovations to provide physical accessibility and other improvements were in progress in early 1994.

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